


Mistletoe Magic

by shirewalker



Category: The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Bakery, Cinderella Elements, F/M, Magic, Magic Kisses, Mistletoe, Royalty, alina is a baker ofc, and nikolai is the crown prince, and they love kissing each other, and ya know christmas magic and kissing magic work their magic hehe, because it is what he deserves, under magic mistletoes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-18 07:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21940591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shirewalker/pseuds/shirewalker
Summary: Alina attends the Lantsov Christmas ball and finds more than she expected.A magnetic man with beautiful eyes and a witty mouth.A mistletoe.A kiss.Maybe... just maybe, Alina will start believing in magic.
Relationships: Nikolai Lantsov/Alina Starkov
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	Mistletoe Magic

**Author's Note:**

> Happy holidays!!! <3<3<3

Christmas at the Lantsov palace was always an enviable season. Non-noble guests would be randomly invited by order of the crown prince, as a way to lessen the distance between the royal house and their people. There were rumours that each year had its own magic and theme and no party was the same. Everyone wanted to experience this.

Alina thought this was all too grand and fantastic. As much as she’d like to explore the palace and see its beauty – or ugliness – with her own eyes, she didn’t ache for an invitation as much as Genya did.

Still, when the invitation came to her hands on one snowy morning, her stomach fluttered with excitement. She was going to the Christmas party. She needed an outfit!

* * *

“Are you sure this isn’t too much, Genya?” Alina muttered to her friend as they climbed up the stairs leading to the grand ballroom. Her dress was far too gaudy for her usual looks, so she felt a little… out of it.

It had a full skirt and was of a beautiful shade of teal. A shimmery layer of sparkly white and gold added an effect that made her think of magic when she moved. The neckline was far too low for her tastes too, but Genya had insisted it was the highest of fashion among nobles, and sure enough, they’d already passed by many ladies with even lower necklines. All in tasteful fashion, though.

“You look like a million Ravkan doubles, Alina. Stop fidgeting.” Genya waved off her worries, “And if you want to know, I think you look better than many ladies we’ve seen so far. You’d think they’re hoping to snatch the prince’s heart.” She added with a chuckle.

“Oh, they are.” Zoya said from Alina’s other side, her night blue gown of a rich velvet and catching the eye of several people they passed by.

“Are you two also planning on that?” Alina asked after a moment.

Zoya snorted, “Please. I’d be a great queen, that’s certain, but on my own. I’d rather remain the head of the Nazyalensky house and never rule than marry the prince. Besides,” she added after her gaze caught the eye of a red head stroking a cat, “He’s not my type.”

“You’ve met him?”

“Seen him.” Zoya’s voice grew faint as she turned her head a little to watch the red head for a little longer. “Definitely not my type…”

“And we lost her.” Genya chuckled.

* * *

It was overwhelming. The party was so full of people and music and colours… Alina had enjoyed it for a while, but now she just needed a break.

In a side room where a few people sat while drinking mulled wine, Alina found a window seat to rest in. She let out a slow breath as her cheeks cooled down at last.

“Everyone’s just so…” She started to mutter before trailing off. It wasn’t smart to accidentally offend other party goers. She still had the rest of the night to be around them. It would do her no good to fall on someone’s bad graces.

“I agree,” A voice spoke from behind her, startling Alina out of her skin.

She turned her head to look at the eavesdropper, a snarky remark on her tongue already when her eyes fell on a man that seemed to have dressed to match her dress to the tiniest detail. In every detail, he was her match.

“What...?”

The stranger winked and leaned on the wall as she turned on her seat to face him, “Everyone here is simply so…” He trailed off, a corner of his mouth tilting up in a secretive joke that she somehow understood. The grin also made her realise his mouth was very… Appealing.

She swallowed down and looked up, hoping he hadn’t caught the way her gaze had grown hungry for his lips. And then she cursed her luck because the stranger had the most beautiful hazel eyes she’d ever seen, and was also fashioning a look that was far too smug for her taste.

Alina cleared her throat and looked away, “I was just venting, it was too hot in there.”

He nodded, “I agree, which is why I also escaped the crowds for a moment. This year the snow is too harsh for people to wander outside.” He looked through the window at the steady snowfall, “At least it has allowed us to cross paths, so I won’t complain much.” He said, his gaze returning to hers.

Suddenly Alina felt all too hot once more. And in a way that was far different from the one she’d felt before coming here.

This man was far too handsome for her own good. And he looked at her as though he thought she was the only thing worth looking at. _Get a grip, Alina_ , she scolded herself. He was probably amused by their matching outfits.

“Would you care for a stroll through the less crowded areas of the palace?” He offered after a moment, seemingly utterly unaware of her inner turmoil.

Alina found herself nodding, feeling herself drawn by his magnetic field.

* * *

“I have to say, your dress is beautiful.” He said after a few moments of walking in comfortable silence.

Alina rolled her eyes, “You’re saying that because it matches your outfit.”

He gasped and looked down his body, “Oh saints, it does?” His wide eyes turned to her, “Truly?”

She laughed, “Don’t act so innocent, you came to me because you noticed it.”

He flashed a sly grin and leaned in, “I admit your dress caught my eye for its beautiful shade, but you are the one that drew me in, sunshine.”

Alina blinked at his closeness and the nickname, her body heating up all over again. “I… That’s not my name.”

His grin grew playful, “But it suits you.” Then he paused and bowed his head a little, “Name’s Nikolai, sunshine. A pleasure to meet you.”

She bowed her head as well, not wanting to be rude with her intriguing companion, “Alina. The pleasure is still debatable.”

He laughed, the sound loud and warm and carefree. It pulled a grin out of her before she could help it. “You are, without a doubt, the most interesting woman I’ve met in a long time, Alina.”

“I guess you’re not half bad either, Nikolai.” She said, his name tasting utterly delicious on her tongue. Saints, she had just met him! He somehow made her both want to strangle him and kiss him. Who did that?

Nikolai took her through an empty corridor and she started to slow down. He noticed this and turned to her, “Something wrong?”

She narrowed her eyes, “Are you trying to take me to an empty bedroom? I assure you I didn’t come here for that kind of business.”

Nikolai’s face gained a sheepish panic look, “Oh no! I wasn’t even thinking of that! I just…” He nodded towards a glass door, “Wanted to show you something.”

She eyed him with suspicion. Yet, he seemed honest enough. Carefully, Alina went through the door he’d opened.

A gasp escaped her control.

“This is… this is beautiful!” She said in awe, her eyes desperately trying to focus on all the details they could catch. “This… A garden within a room…?” Sure enough, it was as though they’d walked into a paradise of green. Plants of all kinds populated the place, flowers of the most incredible and bright shades dotting the sea of green. It was like. It _smelled_ of paradise.

“It’s the sun room. Many unique species are kept here for safety.” Nikolai explained as he took her hand softly and led her towards the centre, where a fountain of a simple, yet elegant design stood.

A lover’s seat faced the fountain and Alina wondered if he was taking her there.

But then he took her around the fountain, straight to a bench that was surrounded by sunflowers. He offered a seat and joined her once Alina was sitting comfortably. Maybe a bit too comfortably, as her flipping stomach kept doing strange dance moves just because Nikolai was sitting right next to her.

“Is this your first time at one of these parties?” The question was silly, as he clearly knew his way around the palace, but Alina needed to fill the silence before she did something crazy. Like giving in to that magnetism of his. It was… Impossible to resist.

Nikolai smiled a smile full of secrets only he knew before answering with a soft head shake, “Not really, sunshine. You?”

“Oh, yes. First time. I didn’t even think I’d ever get one invitation.” She admitted.

“Why not?”

She shrugged, “I know the prince said he wanted to invite everyone, but that’s a bit… impossible.”

“I find when people say impossible, most of them mean improbable.” He said with a sparkle in his eye.

“Still,” She leaned back to look at the sunflowers, just so she wouldn’t look at him for too long, “I’m no one. “Just a baker that got lucky enough to have two incredible friends that helped her open her own place.”

“Just a baker…?” Nikolai seemed offended on her behalf, “Sunshine. _Just_ a baker?”

Alina blinked at him, wondering if she’d somehow made him lose it. “It’s true. I’m no one worth inviting to a royal ball.”

He shook his head and leaned in closer, a hand moving up to play with a lock of hair that had strayed from her bun, “Having noble blood is hardly enough to make anyone interesting. And I meant it when I said I wanted to invite everyone, sunshine. Nobles get these parties all the time, everyone else doesn’t. And it’s everyone else I’m interested in getting to know.” His voice had grown rough, as if he wanted her to understand his words quite clearly.

“Wait…” Alina paused, going through his words again, because she couldn’t have heard him correctly. Could she? "You said… You said _you_ wanted to invite everyone.”

He nodded, “I did.”

“Does that mean…? Are you…? Are you the _prince_?” She let out in a raspy breath, her footing completely gone.

Nikolai tucked away that lock of hair as a sheepish smile slowly grew on his lips, “Guilty as charged, sunshine.”

She blinked. And shook her head a little, looking everywhere but him to understand what was happening.

And that’s when her eyes caught something above them. “What…?”

Nikolai followed her puzzled gaze with one of his own. His eyes widened as a surprised chuckle escaped him, “Would you look at that?”

“Did you put it there?” She hissed, forgetting who she was talking to for a moment.

Nikolai shook his head, “I didn’t, sunshine. I swear. And I swear it wasn’t there when we arrived.”

She rolled her eyes, momentarily forgetting all about how close he was, “Right, are you going to suggest it’s the fabled Ravkan Holy? The mistletoe that magically brings together those meant to be?”

Nikolai gave her a smile that said yes to all of that.

She shook her head, “That’s ridiculous! They’re just a fairy tale for hopeless romantics!”

“But kissing under the mistletoe is still a wonderfully romantic tradition, no?” He asked with a playful grin, “Magical or not…”

“I…” She hesitated, her fight gone the moment he said those words.

“Sunshine…” He whispered, the nickname sending shockwaves throughout her body.

“Yes?”

“I want to kiss you.” He said. And was he leaning in? She swore he was closer now than a moment ago. His breath tickled her lips, warm and inviting.

Alina nodded a little, “I guess… We can’t ignore tradition, right?” She was breathless, so ridiculously breathless.

Nikolai beamed, “We really can’t.”

He cupped her jaw and brushed his nose against hers. His thumb traced her cheekbone, leaving behind a trail that heated her right to the core.

And then he kissed her.

It was just a chaste press of lips for a moment. Soft, tender, almost feather-light. Then a whimper grew on the back of her throat and Nikolai moved his lips against hers, as if answering the call her body had just made.

Alina didn’t think kisses could have magic. And yet she was starting to change her mind.

Because Nikolai’s kiss had a magic of its own.

His lips, full and delicious, moved with hers in a sensual dance that had her breathless in no time. He teased her with soft pulls, catching her lower lip between his and sucking on it ever so slightly. His tongue glided along her lips in a game of seduction that had her gasping for him, her own tongue meeting his in a desperate attempt to keep the kiss going.

A hand had circled to the small of her back, pulling her closer while the other had moved to the back of her neck, knotting into her hair as the bun fell apart without much effort on his part.

Her heart was skipping beats and dancing against her ribcage, beating so wildly it was a wonder he couldn’t hear it. Or maybe he could and that was why he kept on kissing her like that.

Saints help her, she never wanted this kiss to end.

She was about to reach for the buttons of his coat when suddenly someone called from the entrance.

Alina leaped away from the kiss as though she’d been burned by it.

“My prince? Are you here? My prince… Oh!” A servant stopped on her tracks as she saw the prince had company, “Apologies,” she bowed, “But the queen requests your presence, immediately.”

Nikolai nodded with a princely smile, “Thank you, I’ll go as soon as I can.” He clearly intended to continue that kiss. Alina couldn’t blame him. It had been far from over. Even if she’d just been kissing the crown prince of Ravka, and almost started to undress him. Even then.

A look of panic crossed the servant’s face, “She insisted you ought to go right away, no dawdling.”

“Huh, she does love that word.” His smile faltered a little before he turned to Alina with one dripping with regret, “I’m afraid my mother really wants to see me right now.”

“Oh, I’ll leave then.” She started to stand.

Nikolai shook his head and caught her hand. She noticed his hands were rough with callouses but still soft when holding hers. He cleared his throat, “Meet me by the window seat later, will you? An…” He looked at the servant, “Hour?” She nodded and he turned back to Alina, “In an hour I’ll be there. I swear, Alina. Please?”

“I… Are you sure?” They could just end it here. It had been a lovely time, even if he’d made Alina roll her eyes far more in a couple of hours than she’d had in her whole life. But it didn’t have to continue. It could remain a lovely memory in their minds. A thing between them would never happen, either way.

He nodded and brought her knuckles to his lips, “Certain. I want to spend more time with you, sunshine.”

She nodded, unable to come up with an excuse good enough to change his mind, “I’ll be there.”

He beamed, “So will I.”

* * *

But he didn’t.

Alina waited for over an hour, almost two, yet the crown prince didn’t show up again. By the time Genya and Zoya found her again, Alina was more than ready to forget all about this night. Great kisses and great company aside. It didn’t matter she’d felt at home with him. He’d stood her up.

* * *

Alina huffed over the gingerbread cookies, trying to rub off the flour with the back of her hand without messing up the lines of icing. She’d gotten flour on her face earlier on and she hadn’t managed to clean it properly just yet. She couldn’t miss a moment. She’d almost ruined a whole batch because she had spent too long wondering if she’d ever see the prince again.

“Ugh!” She groaned and sent a withering glare at the ruined cookie.

The front door opened, the bell rang, and the wind outside howled for one moment before it was shut out again.

“Good morning, sunshine.”

Icing spilled all over the cookie when she squeezed the piping bag too hard.

Alina held in a breath and slowly looked up, wondering if she’d been thinking too hard about the prince that she’d imagined hearing him inside her shop. That was is it, wasn’t it? Her mind was simply stuck on the crown prince and his incredible looks and his effortless charm and his wonderful eyes and that wickedly delicious mouth of his. She’d imagined him. Surely!

A dazzling smile met her gaze, “Hello there.”

Nope. She hadn’t imagined him. Unless her imagination had grown far too realistic with the snow storm.

Dream-Nikolai walked deeper into the shop, wearing a nondescript suit that looked simple enough to pass unnoticed yet she could tell the fabric was the best wool in the land, the embroidery was most likely unique to the coat and those boots were of the finest leather money could buy.

Dream-Nikolai was terrible at disguises.

“I…” She stammered, “How?”

He flashed that dazzling smile of his and shrugged, “I asked around. Took me a while but eventually I found you.”

She shook her head and set down the piping bag, “No, I’m dreaming. Or hallucinating.”

His chuckle was warm and oh so inviting, “I assure you, sunshine, I’m real.”

Well, he looked very real. She huffed, “Why are you here anyway? Didn’t standing me up send enough of a message?”

He winced from her words and looked down, “My most sincere apologies, sunshine. I… I intended to look for you, but it seems my mother had other plans.” He dared looking up and she saw the raw honesty in his eyes, bare for her to witness, “By the time I managed to look for you… You were gone.”

“I waited…” Like a fool. She held back those words, not wanting to let him know how hurt she’d been with his absence.

“I know…” He sighed, “I can’t imagine how it must have looked like. But I swear I meant it when I asked to meet you again, Alina. I really, truly want to get to know you.” He dared a hopeful smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling with it.

She shook her head and tried to get back to work, “I’m busy, my prince. I have a job to do. Christmas is upon us and people are waiting on their cookies. I can’t… I can’t dwell on fantasies.”

He took a few steps closer, “It’s not a fantasy.” Then he crossed the rest of the walk to her counter and leaned in, “And we can still talk while you work. I’ll help!” He added with a smile bright enough to shame the stars.

Alina didn’t know what to say. It was silly. To have the crown prince helping her? While talking to get to know her? Silly!

Yet he’d said this wasn’t a fantasy with such fervour…

Maybe… Just maybe. Maybe they could indulge in this for a little longer. See where it went. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t felt the pull towards him, how her attention seemed to gravitate to Nikolai without any excuse.

She set her jaw, “Well, it’s going to be busy in an hour. You’ll have to get your hands dirty.”

Nikolai beamed as he started to shed his coat, “It will be my pleasure.”

* * *

The day wore on as the shop grew a tad busier when the storm calmed down, with Nikolai helping out as though he’d been working with her since the opening day. It felt strangely… nice.

But what was stranger was how no one seemed to recognize their crown prince. There were a few odd looks as though his face rang bells, but literally no one had bowed or called him anything remotely related to nobility. In fact, a few disgruntled clients that were too annoyed at the weather had even called him some less than nice names. All because Nikolai had been in their way.

In between clients, during quieter moments, Nikolai kept his word.

Alina baked. He helped. And they talked.

It was so easy with him. As though she’d known him all her life somehow. His company was… warm. Comfortable. He had a brilliant mind and an easy speech that met her every counter attack.

She’d always wondered what good banter would be like.

Now there was no need to wonder.

The bell rang as the final customer left the shop. Alina locked the door, closed the blinds and sighed, her eye catching on Nikolai as he brought out a broom to clean the floor.

“You don’t have to, you know?” She said meekly.

Nikolai winked at her, continuing his work, “I do, sunshine. I did help dirty the floor as well. And I offered to help. Cleaning the floor is included in my offered skills.” He kept on cleaning the floor, tackling it as though it was an enemy of the state, “And if I help cleaning up…”

She sighed, “I can leave earlier.” She rolled her eyes and walked to the counter, grabbing a damp cloth to clean it, “Clever.”

“I’m very clever, sunshine. Haven’t you noticed it yet?”

“Not really, no. You keep talking of it yet I haven’t really seen evidence of this cleverness.” She countered, a smile playing on her lips. She just couldn’t keep a straight face around him.

“Sunshine,” He finished his cleaning and walked up to the counter. He leaned on it until their noses almost touched, “You just said I was clever.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t move away, “Slip of the tongue.”

His gaze dipped to her mouth, growing smouldering hot in a flash, “Hmm… I’d love to taste that tongue again.”

She held her breath, “I… really?”

He nodded, “Yes, sunshine. So very much…”

One moment they were bantering. The next their lips met, the kiss stealing that breath of hers she’d held back. And the very next moment his tongue was teasing hers, softly gliding against her tip, drawing a soft and slow moan out of her.

“That was… Sneaky of you.” She rasped when they broke they kiss.

Nikolai pressed his forehead to hers and reached up to cup her face, “I think the word you’re looking for is clever, sunshine.”

“Your highness…”

“Nikolai. Please.”

“Nikolai… This is crazy.” Yet she didn’t stop him from touching her, did she?

“Come to our next Christmas ball, sunshine. Please.”

“I… I already went to one.”

“Come to another. It’s the Eve ball, there will be fireworks at midnight and I might even have a gift for you.” He whispered, his breath warm and familiar against her flushed skin.

“But… Other guests…” She tried to find arguments, but this man was a magnetic force on its own.

“You won’t steal anyone’s place, sunshine. I assure you.”

Oh, wouldn’t it be nice to stay in this little fantasy just a little longer? Just long enough to make some memories worth reliving later in life. When he’d be married to the right noble, when he’d be king. And she’d be just another baker…

“Only if you help cleaning up the kitchen while I finish these counters.” She said.

Nikolai chuckled, “For you? Anything, sunshine.” Then he kissed her again, taking her breath away for one moment before he left to clean the kitchen.

Alina took in a shuddered breath before finally parting her eyes and placing a hand over her runaway heart. Saints, what was her life becoming?

Suddenly her attention fell on a… leaf.

“What…?” She picked it up, furrowing her eyebrows in deep observation. It looked like a… Mistletoe leaf? Looking up, Alina found nothing. She’d been half-expecting to find a surprise mistletoe hanging over her head, yet there was none. So how had the leaf found its way here? She was certain there were no leaves on the counter and Nikolai had been leaf-free the whole day.

“Nikolai…” She started.

“Yes, sunshine?”

“Huh… Seen any mistletoe today?”

A pause, “Not since the night we met, no. Why?”

“No reason…”

* * *

Snow drifted through the air, a soft flurry floating aimlessly after the storm had finally settled. The land was so white one didn’t really need any artificial light to see in the dark. The air hinted at the smoke from fireplaces all over the city. Laughter and the scent of food trailed everywhere. It was Christmas Eve at last.

Alina drifted through a path made through the garden, snow piling high to the sides and clinging to the hem of her dress.

Just as agreed, she’d come to the party. Nikolai had been nothing but beaming and dazzling smiles every time they were together, and he made sure to sneak away to be with her very often.

She touched her heated cheeks with gloved hands, hoping no one had noticed how often they disappeared together. It was silly and dangerous for their reputations, but Nikolai didn’t seem to care. And in turn, neither did she. His company was far too delicious to forego. And his kisses far too tempting.

Now she’d snuck outside, letting him do his princely duties and toast to this and that without her presence to distract him too much.

Eventually, her feet took her to a secluded gazebo, small enough for a couple to hide in. Thankfully, it was empty, and Alina sat down for a moment, taking a deep breath as she recounted the events that led her to this moment.

A special guest of the prince.

A guest the prince was particularly fond of.

A guest that knew exactly how he tasted.

Saints! This was… a dream. She wasn’t noble, not even in the least. Yet here she was, fully aware of how real kissing Nikolai was. How good it felt, how… perfect and right.

She wanted him so badly. To be near him, to kiss him, to hold him.

To know him.

Saints above… She wanted to get to know him even more, to know everything about this man that drove her mad. To fall in love so hard nothing could ever take it away. She chuckled, she was already slowly falling in love with him.

Nikolai had visited her bakery the rest of the week until tonight. And Alina hadn’t said no to any visit. She’d indulged him; because she too wanted him near.

“I see you found the perfect kissing spot,” His voice drifted from the entrance, soft and warm and so… inviting.

Alina rolled her eyes and shot him a look, “Do you have this place riddled with mistletoe, then?”

He chuckled and sat next to her, dropping an arm around the back of their bench, “Not really, no. Wait,” He looked up, “Nope. No mistletoe.”

“I’ll check just in case you’re lying.” She said, making a show of looking up. To an empty ceiling. Then she looked back at him and hummed, “I suppose you were telling the truth.”

Nikolai feigned offense, gasping and putting a hand to his heart for the full effect, “Lying? Me? To you? Never!”

She rolled her eyes and looked away, taking in the sight the open windows offered of the royal gardens. “This is a lovely spot, though.”

His fingers trailed across her bare back, drawing goose bumps all over her still heated skin, “Not as lovely as you, sunshine.” He paused, “Are you cold?”

She shrugged, fighting the blush his words brought forth, “Not really. I’m still too warm from the party.” But then a shiver shook her slightly.

Nikolai chuckled as he took off his coat and put it over her shoulders, “I think your body disagrees, Alina.” Then he leaned in, tugged her chin towards him and pressed a soft, feather-light kiss to her lips, “But I’ll happily help heat you up.”

She leaned into the kiss, cupping his jaw with one hand, and let out a soft moan. The kiss was slow and lazy, as though they were figuring out a few more secrets about each other and learning the best way to make the other tremble with want. Nikolai tasted of heaven. And pure sin. She would happily drown in his kisses if he asked her.

Too soon, the kiss ended. Their foreheads pressed together, Nikolai played with a lock of her hair, a lazy smile on his lips. “Saints, sunshine… I feel like every time we kiss I grow even thirstier for your touch.” He chuckled, “I’m a starving man that will never get enough of you…”

“You’re so dramatic.” She teased him, even if she felt the same way.

“But honest.” He sighed and leaned in for a quick peck, “Sunshine… Can I ask you something… forward?”

Forward? What…? “I suppose?”

He drew in a breath, as though he was gathering courage for his next words, “I feel like I’m quickly falling for you sunshine. The days we spent together were wonderfully magical.” Her heart skipped a beat as he spoke, doing little dances all through her chest as his words sank in. “I want to get to know you even more, sunshine. I want… I want to court you. Properly.” He drew another steadying breath, “Publicly, let’s say.”

That meant… That meant he intended… “What if this is just a fling, Nikolai? Courtship will only result in gossip…” Her voice wavered, fear digging its claws into her chest. Courtship with Nikolai seemed a dream, but it also meant everyone would have a say on her and their relationship. Especially if it ended badly.

“Does it feel like just a fling to you?” He asked instead.

She paused. Did it? Somehow, deep in her heart, every moment spent with Nikolai felt… Meant to be. Right. It didn’t feel like a fling. It felt like the sure thing. As though years from now she would happily recount these moments with him, while she’s safe in his embrace.

“No.” She finally said. But the word came out in a shuddered breath, more of a raw sound than an actual word.

“Then would you give us a chance? Take this leap of faith?” He begged, his voice breaking with desire and want and affection so warm she barely felt the cold on her skin.

“Yes.” It was out before she thought another moment longer. Because Alina knew if she did think she’d hesitate too long and run away in fear of this thing between them. “I’d like to be courted by you, Nikolai.”

He let out a chuckle, his hot breath teasing her hungry lips before his mouth came crashing on hers. Laughter seemed to bubble between them, interrupting the kiss ever so often as they clung to each other, their kiss only deepening with each passing heartbeat.

“I can’t wait for our courtship, sunshine.” He rasped after they were forced to resurface for air.

Alina started to speak when something fell on her head. It was light and almost unnoticeable, if she hadn’t felt the soft weight on her hair. Confused, she looked up, only to let out a loud and surprised gasp. “Nikolai!”

He followed her gaze and gasped as well, “I’m certain that wasn’t there just a moment ago, sunshine. And I swear I didn’t put it there.”

She blinked at the mistletoe, bewildered with its appearance, before looking back at Nikolai, “Then how…?”

A playful smile curled a side of his mouth as he shrugged lightly, “Maybe there is such a thing as a magical mistletoe that brings together those meant to be.”

She pushed him a little, “Nikolai…!”

He arched his eyebrows, gaze flickering to the mistletoe hanging above their heads, “Do you have a better explanation?”

Alina shook her head a little, still dazed with the green thing. Then she remembered that leaf… “Oh my saints… That first day at the bakery…”

He looked at her, “What of it?”

“There was a mistletoe leaf after we…” A blush heated her cheeks into a deeper shade of red, “after we kissed.”

Nikolai considered her for a moment, “Ah.”

“Do you think…?”

He shrugged and pulled her closer, a heated look burning in his eyes, “I certainly am ready to believe in it. After all, it did bring me to you, sunshine.” He cupped her cheek and leaned in until their noses were touching, “And I couldn’t be more grateful for it.”

“Are you going to kiss me again?” She rasped.

“Well, there is a magical mistletoe hanging above our heads. We should abide to the rules and settle the deal, no?”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t stop the soft kiss that met her lips, “You’re so dramatic.”

“But you love it.”

Alina did love it. “Stop fishing for compliments and kiss me again, Nikolai. Leave the complimenting for when we’re officially courting.”

And kiss her he did, for long and deep into the night, until they were far too cold to stay outside any longer. The mistletoe eventually disappeared without a trace, not even a leaf left behind to prove it had been there that night.

Months later, Alina and Nikolai became engaged and rumours of how they’d met began to make the rounds. Mistletoe magic, they said. Especially the common folk. The crown prince had met his fiancée with the help of mistletoe, and people were more than happy to spin the tale with grand details of magic and midnight runs and fated kisses and perfect matches.

Alina couldn’t blame them. After all, it all felt so very fairy tale like.

Maybe true love was something that happened in real life as well.

She certainly believed in magical mistletoes now.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you guys enjoyed this soft and magical one shot :D I had fun playing with a mistletoe that happened to be magical and bring together two nerds meant to be :3 because yes.  
> also, couldn't resist sneaking in some zoyshaw possibilities hehe
> 
> happy christmas eve!! and if you don't celebrate it, happy holidays or just happy december 24th evening!! :D
> 
> comments/fangirling/etc sure fills my christmas stocking amirite?? *lame badum tss*


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